I know without a shadow of a doubt that I would not be able to call myself a motorcycle rider today without the help and instruction of Carol Carpenter.
I first got the bug to ride a motorcycle when I was 20 years old, but it would be until I was 30 that I finally had the opportunity to try. I first signed up at my local motorcycle school thinking I would be able to just get my endorsement on the same day. I had been a passenger on a motorcycle for so many years it seemed to be a given. But the morning of the class, I found myself in the awkward position of being excused because I “didn’t appear to be learning as quickly as the others.” I was confused but accepted the findings because I thought the instructors knew better. I borrowed a friend’s Rebel 250 and started to practice on my own. I took the Pre- BRC class and was told by that instructor that I appeared competent and could progress. I retook the BRC class 2 months later at the same school and progressed through the whole day. At the end, however, the instructors told me that they didn’t think I was progressing fast enough again. I asked them to explain to me what they were seeing, by the instructor didn’t have time and just let me stand on the side and watch until they could dismiss me again. I was devastated and completely discouraged. But that’s when I found Carol.
I sent her a LONG message explaining my desperation. By the end of the day, she had called me on the phone and let me explain my whole struggle. She was so encouraging and understanding and believed that she could help me. She arranged to meet me on my terms with my bike and walked me through how the process would work. The first time we met, she brought a headset for me to use with my helmet and had someone else inspect my bike before we took it out. She let me show her where my skillset was and even talked me through the ride to help me stay calm. She gave great pointers on what I was doing well and what I really needed to work on. Carol was even able to help introduce me to mechanics who specialized in my bike and gave great feedback on equipment and maintenance.
Carol was able to really hone in on what I needed to do to feel confident during my endorsement exam and helped properly introduce me to the world of riding. She had reading material for every topic I had questions on. Through her patience and her teaching skills, I was finally able to get my endorsement! I look forward to more lessons from her in the future and couldn’t recommend her enough!
